Flip Media develops & launches podcast technology in the Middle East region

Flip's PodCaster publishes sound files to the internet where users can subscribe to a feed and receive new audio files automatically on their computer, which can then be synchronized via Apple's iTunes software with a portable media device, such as an iPod.

Podcasting differs from traditional broadcasting and webcasting in the way that the core content is transmitted and can also include metadata such as dates, titles and descriptions. Instead of a central audio stream, subscribers download audio files created and posted onto the web as RSS 2.0 files, but unlike radio or streaming media, podcasts are time shifted, meaning that users have control over when they hear the recording. Podcast technology enables broadcasters to reach a far wider audience than normal radio transmission allows, as listeners are can use either their computer, or synchronize with portable media players or devices to replay the broadcast at their convenience.

7DAYS is currently the first customer to adopt the use of Flip PodCaster in the region. Users can subscribe to the 7DAYS podcast on www.7days.ae and automatically receive new downloads as they are posted.

Dinesh Lalvani, Creative Director, Flip Media comments: "Podcasting is truly the next generation of internet technology and complementary to our FlipCast internet video streaming platform. Flip Media continues to pioneer the development of technologies aimed at making the internet a more comprehensive and interactive communication channel for advertisers and marketeers, resulting in a more enhanced experience for users."

The most popular way to listen to a podcast is through an Apple iPod, although podcasts can be replayed on any media player or portable device supporting MP3 formats. The term podcasting originates from the portmanteau of Apple Computers 'iPod' and 'broadcasting'. Podcasting technology originally became popular as a way of attaching audio files to blogs and is now a common audio standard for the internet.